The Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is supporting Chattanooga’s own “7 Bridges Marathon” as the presenting sponsor starting this year and beyond.
Ed Wright, president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, said, “As Seventh-day Adventists our unique message of hope and wholeness combined with our emphasis on a healthy lifestyle makes this a natural partnership. We are honored to serve our community in this way. I ran last year’s race and loved it. The course over the seven bridges features many of the wonderful gems of downtown Chattanooga. We’re excited about growing the excitement and size of the event. Our goal is to be recognized as one of Runner's World’s Top Ten Marathons.”
Race Director Ken Radley, “Our partnership is such a great fit. The Adventists stand out on being mindful of their health: exercise and avoidance of harmful substances lead to clear minds and wise choices. “
“Going into our fifth year, we've had time to fine tune the event and all of our racer amenities. Last year we consolidated the start and finish near the Chattanooga Theatre in Coolidge Park and recovery food from Noodles and Co. at the finish as well as instant results technology for the racers. We're still working to make the race outstanding and we have some special mobile technology we're planning to unveil in the coming months.”
The Seventh-day Adventist 7 Bridges Marathon is an annual weekend-long event held in early spring with an expo and three different running events: a 26.2-mile marathon, 13.1-mile half-marathon, 5K run and “Kiddie-K” fun run for children 12 and under. The race course showcases many of Chattanooga’s downtown scenic sites, and as Chattanooga's only marathon, the event brings tourist dollars to the community.
Participation in the 7 Bridges Marathon over the last four years has tripled, growing from 900 total registered runners in 2010 to nearly 2,500 in 2014.
Spectators are also welcome to attend the race, visit the sponsor booths and cheer on the athletes. The race is Chattanooga’s only full marathon. More than 2,400 runners are expected to compete and approximately 45 percent have traveled from other states to attend the event, some from as far away as California and Washington State.
View the full race schedule at www.sevenbridgesmarathon.com now or visit a registration event to sign-up. For up to the minute information, follow on Twitter and Facebook.